For the second consecutive year, D Magazine has selected Jennifer Spencer, managing partner of Jackson Spencer Law, for inclusion on its annual list of the Best Lawyers in Dallas. The 2020 list recognized her work in the area of labor and employment law.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) went into effect on April 1 and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) gave employers until April 18 to comply with the law, after which employers who fail to comply will face DOL enforcement actions and could be subject to individual lawsuits.

With the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), employees have questions about what the law does and doesn’t provide to those impacted by the coronavirus and COVID-19. In this article we’ll answer 7 of the most pressing questions employees face while the U.S. prepares for (and deals with) this historic contagion.

Proving sexual harassment in the workplace can be exceptionally difficult. When confronted, virtually all harassers claim that harassment never occurred or that their words or actions were taken out of context. Few, if any, people readily admit that they have engaged in harassing behavior.

As Texas employment lawyers, we were some of the first in line to see “Bombshell,” the star-studded film about allegations of sexual harassment against former Fox CEO Roger Ailes and the toxic workplace he oversaw at Fox News. Even though the movie refers to itself as a “fictionalized account” of the behind-the-scenes happenings at Fox, we couldn’t help but notice the realistic depiction of workplace sexual harassment.

Are you facing workplace discrimination based on a disability or your age? Perhaps you’ve been working for your employer a long time, only to discover that with age, your health has declined. Many employees facing health challenges fear discussing their concerns with their employer. However, if you’re having difficulty performing your job due to a disability or age-related health condition, you have rights.

Few things are as disheartening as the realization that your company might be preparing to fire you. You might want to stop working, lash out, or confront your supervisors. Here’s what to do if you think your termination is around the corner – and what not to do if you suspect you may be getting fired. (For more information, see our original blog post here.) If you suspect you’ve been or are about to be wrongfully terminated, contact Jackson Spencer for a consultation.

Since Congress launched an impeachment inquiry against President Trump in September, there’s been a lot of talk about whistleblower protections filling the news cycle. Even Texas Republican Will Hurd has expressed the importance of keeping whistleblowers’ identities confidential to encourage exposure of corruption.

Age Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation If you’re over the age of 40 and think you’ve been treated less favorably in the workplace, you have rights. Read on to learn the top 3 things you need to know about age discrimination.

Employee rights advocate and Jackson Spencer Law founder Jennifer Spencer has been selected to the 2019 Texas Super Lawyers list for her work in plaintiff’s employment litigation. This year marks Ms. Spencer’s eleventh anniversary appearing on the list of the top attorneys in Texas.

Pregnancy can be both exciting and overwhelming. Losing a job or facing discrimination while pregnant is stressful and frightening for any mom-to-be. In 2018, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) awarded $16.6 million in monetary awards for pregnancy discrimination charges, a substantial increase from years past. If you feel you are being treated unfairly due to pregnancy or childbirth, you have rights.

Unfortunately, it is all too common for retaliation to follow a claim of harassment or discrimination in the workplace. In fact, retaliation claims are on the rise: 57 percent of charges received by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Texas were for retaliation.

Understanding a Severance Package Losing a job, especially when unexpected, is a nightmare for most employees. Worrying about finding another job, paying bills, and covering health insurance premiums between jobs stresses any employee who has been terminated or laid off. Fortunately, you can reduce these fears by educating yourself on severance pay basics long before the need arises. Arm yourself with knowledge so that you will know how to respond if the worst occurs. Many employees have been led to believe that severance packages are rare, but according to a recent study, 97 percent of U.S. businesses reported offering some form of severance to...

Realizing you have been discriminated against at work can be distressing, but there are several steps you can take if you believe you have a discrimination claim. Do you have a disability, and do you notice that non-disabled people always seem to get promoted even though you have been with your company longer and receive similar or better performance reviews? Are you Hispanic, and your non-Hispanic coworkers are always invited to crucial meetings, but you are not? Was part of your sales territory given away after you told your boss about your pregnancy? While some forms of discrimination are easy...

With the exception of a few people, almost everyone has a connection to social media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Snapchat (just to name a few) can be a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. However, your behavior on social media can directly affect your relationship with your employer, so it’s important to know your rights. Can my employer really control what I post on social media? While you have ultimate control over everything you post on social media, employers are well within their rights to create social media guidelines for their employees. Some common guidelines...

Maybe you heard layoffs were happening around the company, and your boss has been surprisingly distant with you. Maybe you saw your position posted on a job search engine. Maybe you have been unfairly treated since you complained about discrimination or took FMLA leave. Or maybe a coworker let it slip: they’re letting you go. Few things are as disheartening as the realization that your company might be preparing to fire you. You might want to stop working, lash out, or confront your supervisors. Here’s what to do if you think your termination is around the corner – and what...

Maybe your boss let it slip that the company didn’t report everything it should have to the IRS, or maybe you came across a document that revealed your employer is stealing from its clients. While it might be daunting to think about the possibility of reporting your employer for wrongdoing, there are laws to protect those who report unethical or illegal behavior. These protective laws are called whistleblowing laws, and it can be illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for reporting unlawful behavior. Scroll to the end of this post for a list of many of the laws...

Two of the most common questions we are asked are “how do I improve my severance agreement?” and “how do I obtain severance?” While every situation is different and there is no simple answer, we have outlined below five of the steps we undertake in a severance negotiation. While you execute this plan, make sure you sign nothing until you read and understand the whole thing and know your rights. STEP ONE: Decide on Your Goals This can be one of the most important steps. You need to know what you want so that you can go out and try...

Employers are not required to offer severance payments to employees they lay off or terminate, unless there is a specific employment contract or company policy requiring the payments. Since most employees are “at will,” the employment relationship can be ended by the employer or the employee for any reason except an illegal reason. Why then would an employer offer to pay severance when it does not have to? Companies often say that severance is being offered to assist employees with their transition out of the company and to help them while they look for another job. That may be true,...

On March 4, 2019, a federal district court overturned President Trump’s efforts to curtail regulations designed to combat employment discrimination and pay disparity. U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the District of Columbia reinstated President Obama’s executive order requiring large companies to submit data to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regarding their employees’ gender, race, ethnicity, and salary. This ruling is a huge win for equality proponents everywhere. For a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer, contact Jackson Spencer Law at intake@jacksonspencerlaw.com, 800-596-5074, or complete our online intake form. Here’s a little history on the fight for...

Laid-off employees are often worried that their former employer will retract the original offer if they ask for increased severance or better terms. While it is technically possible that the company could withdraw the offer, it rarely, if ever, happens. A few have ultimately refused to negotiate, but virtually all have extended the time period for the former employee to accept the original offer. For a free consultation with an experienced severance negotiation lawyer, contact Jackson Spencer Law at intake@jacksonspencerlaw.com, 877-239-6274, or complete our online intake form. Why don’t employers withdraw their original offers when an employee demands more money? Companies...